10th annual AGC Central Georgia Skills Challenge draws 2,000 students to Perry

The competition at the Georgia National Fairgrounds gives high school students hands-on experience in trades like carpentry, welding and masonry.

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – More than 125 high schools from 26 Middle Georgia counties showcased their talents in a hands-on construction contest Thursday at the 10th annual AGC Central Georgia skills challenge.

The skills challenge, held at the Georgia Nationaal Fairgrounds, is one of eight regional events throughout Georgia. It hosts more than 2,000 students from more than 100 schools. From carpentry to masonry, these students are learning how to be a helping hand to their community. 

Zach Fields, Executive Vice President of AGC Georgia, says teaching students’ these skills early in high school will be valuable to them in the long run.  

“The careers that students are looking at here or are experiencing, you have your core trades of carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, sheet metal, welding,” he said. “So, these are key elements across our industry. You can learn the easy way or the hard way. And I think in the career space, you want to start as early as you can so that you’re further ahead, your wages are going up, you have more experience. And we can make those connections while students are in high school or immediately after.”

Fields believe this event will open doors for students in the future. 

“Where else can a student go to have a network of hundreds of employers, companies, and people they can connect with locally here in Central Georgia to make that next step?” he said.

Dave Cyr, CEO of Parish Construction Group, says he wants these students to know the industry is behind them all the way. 

“We’re encouraging them, we want them to be a part of our industry,” he said. “There are a lot of companies that are supporting this event. This didn’t just happen overnight; we’ve been planning this for a long time. The skills challenge has been happening in Central Georgia for ten years. We’re invested in them and their future, and I just want them to know the industry is supporting of them, and encouraging them to consider construction as a career.”